The Deceptive Demon
by crematosis
Summary: Because of Fayt, Albel finds himself in jail again. How can he ever forgive the boy? Rated for Albel and Fayt's pottymouths and some slashiness.


A/N: This is a very bizarre story. I'll warn you right now. It started off as a simple idea. Let's put Albel in prison and chain him to the wall on his arms, feet, neck, waist…etc. But then it involved into an evil Fayt and some weird things. Also, I don not particularly like Nel, but she has a major part…It's genetically impossible for Albel to be angsty, but I'm not sure if I have actually made HIM angsty or if just the general overall feel of the story. Anyway, you've been warned. This is terrible, so I understand if you flee in terror.

Disclaimer: Albel does not belong to me, or else he would talk me out of chaining him so completely.

Albel had been in worse situations before, but not much worse. He had certainly bee in prison before, twice in fact. The first time had not been pleasant at all. He had been accused of being a traitor and chained to a wall in his cell. However, he second time had been rather exciting. He had been in a bad mood and to cheer himself up he and Fayt had spent the day defacing property and generally causing havoc. The wrecking spree had ended when they were both captured by Airyglyph soldiers and promptly thrown in jail. Dear sweet Fayt had smiled and said cheerfully, "well, at least we're together. There's no one else I'd rather be in jail with." At the time Albel had fervently wished to be chained up to keep himself from jumping the boy, but apparently, blowing up a market stall was not serious enough to warrant chains. And poor Fayt wondered why Albel was so jumpy the entire time.

But now, he was accused of a much more serious crime, it seemed, although Albel had no idea what he could have done. He shifted slightly, trying to ease the chafing on his wrist by the shackles. The shackles were attached to the wall by a short chain so he could move his arms, but not very far. His arms and legs were both shackled and spread equally wide. Albel was not a very modest person, but even he knew that people in skirts should not spread their legs too far. He wished he could look and see how much was showing, but his neck was directly pinned to the wall with a metal collar. He was also bound to the wall around his waist by a thick piece of metal. Movement was very limited.

Albel let his head drop ever so slightly, just enough to give his neck a little rest without strangling himself. His hair fell into his face, sticking to the sweat and rivulets of blood, but he couldn't move his hand enough to brush it away. He sighed in frustration. He hadn't even been chained up for three hours and he was already aching all over. It would be a long day.

The door to the prison cell creaked slowly open. Albel glanced up. The person was standing to far in the shadows for Albel to immediately identify them, but there was no mistaking that soft laugh. Albel turned his face away in disgust, wincing as the metal bit into his neck. Of course they would send the Aquarian wench to humiliate him further by seeing him so degraded.

Nel stepped forward slightly into the light. "My, how interesting to see the might warrior so helpless."

"Bah, I know you're here to rescue me," Albel said scornfully, "so stop yapping and get me out of here."

Nel frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're going to wait a little for that remark. It's becoming my job to free people from Airyglyph jails, it seems. I won't ask what you did to end up here, but seeing as I'm your rescuer; you could be a little nicer."

Albel sighed and closed his eyes. The blood was already running down his face from his forehead. He didn't have much time, but time didn't matter anymore.

"Albel?" Nel asked hesitantly.

Albel raised his head and looked at Nel directly. The dim light fell onto his face showing a large gash on his forehead. Nel gasped. "Albel, you're bleeding."

"Tell me something I don't know," Albel growled.

Nel smiled. "It must not be that bad if you can still snap at me. Come on; let's get you out of her. Fayt was worried about what happened to you so he sent me searching."

"Fayt," Albel spat. "What does he care? He got me in here in the first place."

Nel took a step backwards from the violent rage in the warrior's tone. "What do you mean?" she asked warily.

"I mean he was the one that almost fucking killed me and then chained me up!" Albel snarled.

"Fayt wouldn't do such a thing," Nel said softly.

Albel smiled grimly. "I thought so too," he said sadly.

Nel stared at him. "What exactly is going on between you and Fayt?"

Albel looked at her hesitantly and then looked away.

Horrified, Nel put a hand to her mouth. "Oh no, you couldn't have."

Albel looked at her sadly. "**We** did. He asked for it in fact." Albel leaned his head back. "Why couldn't I see that he was just using me? I'm such a fucking fool!" Angered, Albel snarled and yanked hard on the chains. Then he winced and let out a soft cry of pain.

Nel gave him a sympathetic look. "I'll get you down and then we'll talk about what happened on the way back to camp."

Nel gently loosened Albel's neck and he immediately slumped forward, supported only by his wrists. Nel studied him closely. "That wound's nastier than I though. Can you make it out of here?"

"Of course," Albel growled. "I'm not staying here a minute longer. Hurry up and unchain me, wench."

Nel sighed and shook her head. Albel was just so stubborn and he always talked tough even when he wasn't.

Nel unchained Albel and he would have fallen over if she hadn't caught him. "Easy," Nel muttered. "I think the only reason you were staying upright is because of the chains. You don't have the strength to stand."

"Oh, yes," Albel said acidly. "You're really making me feel better. Just shut up, maggot."

"I don't think you can walk back to camp," Nel said worriedly. "You should stay here and I'll go for help."

"No, no, no," Albel insisted. "I'm fine. It's just blood loss making me dizzy. Just-just let me lean against you and I can walk."

"Alright," Nel said reluctantly. She put her arm around Albel's good arm.

Albel grimaced in pain. "Not that side!" he hissed.

"Your other arm is a claw," Nel growled. "I'm not going to let you dig into my arm with that thing."

Albel sighed. "If you can't handle it, I'm going to die," he said between gritted teeth.

Nel was instantly suspicious. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Albel said quickly.

"Let me see," Nel said firmly, over Albel's loud protests. She gently leaned him against the nearest wall and examined his arm.

Nel's face set grimly but Albel merely groaned loudly. "I've seen worse. It's not that bad."

"yes it is," Nel snapped. "Your arm is almost completely severed. Who did this to you?"

"Fayt," Albel said sullenly.

"fayt did this!" Nel roared. "Fayt couldn't hurt a fly. You have to be lying."

"Why would I lie about such things? I have my pride. You can see that I've got my ass kicked. If I wanted to lie, I would say a hundred men did this, not just Fayt."

"True enough. But how did this happen? Fayt couldn't just beat you half to death. You'd defend yourself."

Albel looked pained. "Fayt and I were walking around Airyglyph castle. Fayt wanted to go exploring the prison cells for old time's sake. I had barely walked in to the dungeon first when the damn bastard stabbed me in the back. He cut through my sword arm first so I couldn't fight him and then he hit me over the head with his sword before I could react. When I came to, he was dragging me along the ground into this cell. I'm lucky he didn't drag my whole arm off. The he had me chained up here with the help of one of my own damn men and they whipped me for half an hour."

"That's terrible," Nel whispered. "Are you sure you can make it out of here after all that torture?"

"Yes!" Albel said in exasperation. "Now, let's hurry before he gets back."

"Going somewhere?" asked a silky voice.

"Oh shit," Albel muttered.

Fayt stepped forward from the shadows with a malicious smile that looked all wrong on his face. "Ah, Ms. Zelpher, so good of you to join us. However, Albel and I have to take care of some business involving whips, so if you'll excuse us…"

"Wait a minute, you're not Fayt," Nel growled. "I left Fayt behind to come here. You had to have been here before us. I never saw you come in."

Fayt shrugged carelessly. "I came in through another door."

"There's no way you could get here so fast," Nel insisted. "I left Fayt back in Arias and I run much faster than Fayt. He couldn't have caught up."

Fayt gazed at Nel impassively. "Perhaps I'm faster than you thought."

Albel glared at Fayt and he began to shake, clenching Nel's shoulder with his claw in his fury. Nel winced and Albel shoved her aside to stand tottering on his own.

"You," he snarled. "You did this to me."

"Of course I did," Fayt said cheerfully. "I heard you tell her all about it."

Albel shook his head firmly. "No, I thought it was Fayt. I didn't realize it was you. You're not Fayt. I was a damn fool to think you were." He turned to Nel. "I was either in front of him or behind him the whole way. I never saw his face. His voice is exactly like Fayt's, but there's no mistaking his wretched face for Fayt's."

Fayt began to laugh, a disquieting sound with the effect of nails on a chalkboard. Nel cringed from the noise. Albel was right; this was not Fayt. This cruel monster had teeth that were too pointy and eyes that were too shifty. And his laugh was cruel. She wondered how she could ever have thought he looked like Fayt.

"So you found me out," the imposter Fayt said with a sneer. "It took you long enough."

"I know," Albel said with regret. "I should have been able to tell immediately. I don't know how Fayt can ever forgive me."

The imposter examined Albel through half-lidded eyes. "You seem close to this fayt. I wonder if you would take a bullet for him."

"A bullet? What do you speak of, maggot?"

"Oh, I know you've seen guns before. Guns fire bullets."

"The weapon that blue-haired girl has? Yes, I've seen it. But what do you mean?"

"I'll show you," the fake Fayt said lazily. "He clapped his hands. "Tanner, bring in the boy."

"Let me go!" a voice echoed through the hallway. "I didn't do anything."

Albel's face tightened as Fayt was dragged yelling and kicking into the jail cell. "Hands off, bastards!" Fayt screeched. "You can't arrest me. I didn't do anything."

"Fayt," Albel said softly.

Fayt glanced in his direction. "Albel, what are you doing here?"

The imoster stepped forward. "I ask you again, Albel."

"Bitch," Albel spat. "Don't you dare hurt him."

"Of course not," the imposter said cheerfully, his hair changed from blue to gray and his eyes glowing an ominous red. "well, at least as long as you kep your part of the bargain."

Albel's eyes narrowed. "So you're saying if I let you kill me, you'll let Fayt go free?"

"Of course. It's a fair exchange."

"No!" Fayt shouted. "Don't do it!" he struggled against the two soldiers. "Damn it! Let me go, bastards!"

Albel glanced at Fayt and nodded almost imperceptibly. "Fine, I'll do it." He took a shaky step forward.

The imposter Fayt curled one clawed hand around Nel's shoulder and raised his other arm with a pistol pointed at Albel's heart. Albel stared him down, oblivious to Fayt's shouts.

He pulled the trigger. The bullet shot towards Albel and then mysteriously stopped in midair barely inches from Albel. Fayt stopped struggling to stare open-mouthed. Time stood still as everyone simply watched. Then, with a loud tearing noise a sheet of glass broke in front of the bullet and the bullet slammed into Albel's chest.

"No!" fayt shrieked as Albel's knees collapse and he fell to the floor. Fayt elbowed the guards in the stomach and they let him go. It wasn't like Fayt could help Albel now anyway.

Fayt knelt over Albel. Albel's chest and shirt were soaked in his blood. The right side of his face and his arm were caked in dried blood. "You're a bloody mess," Fayt whispered.

Albel smiled weakly, blood trickling from between his lips. "It was a test, and I failed. This is the second test I've failed and now I will finally pay for it with death."

"No, you're not!" Fayt said firmly.

Albel ignored him. "I thought I was safe; the bullet stopped. But at that moment, I considered whether instead of dying for you, I ought to take on that maggot and rescue you. After all, once I'm dead, he could kill you too."

"That's not a bad though," fayt insisted. "You were concerned for me."

Albel snorted. "I was being selfish. I didn't want to die and I wanted to save my own life first. How could you love anyone so weak?"

"No, that thought right there is the one that got you into trouble," Fayt said softly. "You're stubborn and arrogant, but I love you anyway. When you start to doubt if I love you, you doubt if we are meant for each other."

Albel sighed. "I've messed up. I mistook that worm for you. But where were you anyway when he showed up?"

Fayt looked embarrassed. "I thought it was a nice time to take a walk, with you."

"that wasn't me, fool," Albel growled.

"I know that now. He led me off into the meadow and then he said he forgot to bring something from the campsite so he ran back to get it. I waited for an hour and then went to find him. By that time, you were already gone, so I sent Nel to find you."

Albel roared with laughter. "Both of us are damned fools."

"I didn't know," Fayt defended himself. "Where were you when he was with me anyway?"

"In the bathroom," Abel growled.

"You use the bathroom?" Fayt sounded surprised.

Albel sighed heavily. "Yes, Fayt, everyone uses the bathroom."

"No, I mean, I've never seen you use it."

Albel raised an eyebrow. "Of course not. I would never let you in there with me."

Fayt blushed. "I didn't mean it that way."

"Of course you didn't. You're too innocent for your own good."

Fayt smiled. "I think it's better that way."

Albel smiled indulgently. "Whatever you say, fool. Now, could you do me a favor before I go?"

Fayt looked panicked. "Go? You're not going anywhere."

Albel rolled his eyes. "Of course I can't go anywhere in this condition. I mean death. Before I go away forever."

"You're not going to die!" Fayt wailed. "You can't die like this."

"Certainly not," said a quiet voice from behind them.

Fayt whirled around and drew his sword. The imposter Fayt now looked like an old man with wrinkles and gray hair, but Fayt still wanted to kill him for killing Albel.

"You bastard!" Fayt hissed. "How could you do that to poor Albel?"

The old man studied Fayt calmly. "It's good to know the boy has someone strong fighting for him, but you have terrible language. You must've learned it from Albel."

Fayt looked concerned. Something about the old man told him he was too strong to fight. There was some power at work in him stronger than the destructive gene, and he didn't seem evil anymore. What was going on? Fayt dropped his sword and looked at Albel for help.

"What do you want, old man?" Albel growled weakly, trying to get up, by dissolving into a fit of coughing.

"I had to be sure you were really happy and that both of you were able to handle it," the old man continued, pacing about aimlessly. "I couldn't inflict you on just about anybody. I know what an overconfident, arrogant devil you are."

Albel laughed mercilessly. "You talk as if you know me, old man."

"I do, my son," the man said quietly. "I have been watching over you activities very closely. It pained me to see you become so antisocial after my death. I'm glad this boy Fayt was here for you. I would rather you found a sensible woman like this girl here," he brought forward Nel who still seemed in shock, "but I realize that no woman would be able to handle your temper. This boy is a man and so are you. You both are relatively equal in strength so you can handle each other. And I know you love him. It's not everyday that you're willing to die for someone you don't love."

Fayt backed away. "A ghost? You're Albel's father's ghost? Jesus, how could you put your son through so much pain just to see if he loved me? He could have died, and he probably still could."

The ghost morphed into a shape more familiar to Albel. "Oh, I knew he wouldn't die. He's too strong for that. He thinks he's so weak, but most people couldn't take a beating and a gunshot and a severed arm without dying."

"Most people are weak," Albel growled.

"I wouldn't be able to handle it," his father informed him. "Do you think I'm weak?"

Albel had nothing to say to that.

Glou Nox smiled at Fayt and Albel. "Well, now that you've seen the worst case scenario, the rest of your relationship should be easy, eh?"

"But sir, I don't think Albel can live long in his present condition," Fayt said hesitantly.

"Good lord, Fayt," Albel growled. "I'm not dead yet so don't talk about me as if I'm not here. And I assure you, I will be fine."

Glou Nox paused. "Yes, you will be. Fayt, you should know that your love for Albel will heal most of his wounds, but still, a doctor should be called. Happy times, you two." The ghost waved and walked off into the distance, vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Fayt looked at Albel curiously. "He said my love for you could heal you? What does that mean? Does he mean he wants us to make out or something?"

"Sounds good to me," Albel said gruffly. "Come here, you."

The doctor consulted managed to patch Albel up pretty good, but he informed Albel that he couldn't use his arm for six weeks until it properly healed. Albel threw a tantrum about how he couldn't do anything if he was in bed rest for six weeks, until Fayt graciously reminded him what other things the two of them could do in bed for six weeks, and then Albel thanked the doctor from the bottom of his heart.


End file.
